Drop-stitch mechanism for knitting-machines.



F. vH. STOEHRBL. I DROP STITCH MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES.

APPLIGATION FILE-D MAY 12, 1909.

Patented Nov. 14, 1911.

F, H. STOEHREL DROP STITCH MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED MAYIZ, 1909.

Y Patented Nov. 14, 1911.

2 BHEB-TS-SHBET 2.

mad/ 157B 5mm wihwooea w h I NiTE STATES PATENT OFFICE FRIEDRIG H. STOIiHREL. or READING, PENNSYLVANIA, A'SS'IGNOR T 'rnn NOLDE & HORST 00., or READING, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION or PENNSYLVA IA.

T0 1711 whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRIEDRIG H. STOEH- man, a ci.izen. of the United States, and a resident of the city of Reading, in the county of Berks and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Drop-Stitch Mechanism for-Knitting-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to knitting inhchines, and m'rtieularly to straight-frame machines of the Cotton type. And it consists in guided in providing a drop-stitch mechanism adapted to automaticallyclose the books of determined needles so as to cause them to freely pass the thread laid uponthe sinker-s; and inproviding an improved arrangement of the knocking-ovcrbits to cooperate 'with'the means; as fully described herecally pointed out in the claims.

Figure 1 indicates on an enlarged scale a fragment of knitted fabric such as my invention is adapted to automatically produce. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of a portion oil a knitting machine, showing the main parts. which cooperate in this ncctions therefor.

mechanism, looking in the direction of arrow 3 Fig. 2. Figs. 4 and 5 are detached views of one of the ordinary fixedbits and one of the special adjustable bits respectively. Fig. 6 is a plan view of a portion of an end section of the machine, corresponding with Fig. 2, and indicating the mechanism for controlling the act-ionv of the hook-closing mechanism and the setting of the adjustable knocking-over hits.

The general construction and operation of the type of lmitting'machine indicated is well known; and such portions only thereof as directly relate to the. present invention need be particularly shown or described.

The knitting needles 8, as indicated, areof the ordinary bearded type, and may be carried and operated in well known manner. 'lhe jack-sinkel's 9 and dividers 10 are the sinker-head bars 11. 12, and operated by the catch-bar 13 and jacks not shown. as usual.--

In the ordinary knitting operation the.

v present invention .and indicating the required operating eon- Fig. 8 isa longitudinal view of the improved knocking-over" bit,

DROP-STITCH MECHANISM FOR KNITTING-MACHINES.

Specification of :L'etters Patent. Patented NOV. 14;, 1911. Application filed-May 12, 1909. Serial No. 495,384.

thread 15 (Fig. 2) whichhas been laid upon the beaks 16 of the sinkers by the thread carrier 17, and has been bent around the body of the needles, is engaged by the hooked ends of t-lrQf-descending needles and is carried downward thereby between the sinkers to the after which the needles rise to' repeat 'the operation, leaving newly formed loops upon the knocklng-over'bits. These operations, in connection with the well known cooperating movements of the sinkers and thread carrier form the ordinary plainwork or smoothweb;

In order to feet indicated eliminate a line of loops and substitute parallel cross-lines of thread as' indicated at 22; and to produce the best effect it is iniportant to secure-proper lengths of these unlooped portions of the thread and a regular and uniform structure of the fabric. 0 this end my invention provides for closing the hooks of determined descending needles prior to their reachingthe last-laid thread. upon the sinkers so as to cause. them to freely pass instead of engaging said thread and thus avoid. the formation of loops by laterproduce the drop-stitch ef-- in Fig. 1, it is necessary to said needle; and further for so supporting the unloopedthreads over bits, during the erations of the other the desired slack and regularity of structure. The means shown for practically accomplishing these results will now be described. 4

As indicated in Fig.2 the end of the needle heard 20 is approaching the thread 15 in its downward movement. Arranged in its path is a drop-stitch finger 30. the end of which has come into contact with the heard 20 and bent .its point against the grooved body of the needle soas ordinary looping opncedles, as to secure be seen that the further downward moveupon the k nocking-' to close the hook and prcvent the thread 15 from entering it. I t will (it) previously made looped fahr10 18, which latter rests upon the knocking- -mentof the needle, with its beard thusheld closed by the finger 30, will cause the thread to stri freely over the heard of the needle,

thus a lowing the latter to descend empty. This finger'30, and as many others as may bedesired to. produce the desired number of lines of drop-stitching, is secured to a longitudinally arranged presser-bar 31, which,

as'shown, is mounted upon' the sinker-head bar 11 with each end thereof slidably engagedin a guide 32 fixed to said bar 11, so as to be movable to and fro transversely of thenccdle movcment' Springs 33 are arranged to normally retract this presser bar and its attached fingers; which latter are preferably guided in the bed 11 so as to insure their.,' roper registry with the. determined nee les when projected. The for- -ward movement of the presser-bar and its fingers is effected as shown by the action of the catch bar 13.

To provide for properly operating the drop-stitch fingers 30 from the, catch-bar 13, I- mount in bearings 35 upon the forward face of the latter, as shown, a lon itudinally mbvable'presser-block rod 36 having adjustably Secured thereto pre'sser'blocks 37 which blocks are arranged to strike properly adjusted contact points 38 of the resser-bar 31- when the rod 36 is in the operating position indicated in Figs. 2 and'6. To secure the required retraction of the drop-stitch fingers 30 after they have duly effected the closure of the beards 20 as described, so that they will be taken out of the way of the reascending needles and not interfere with the 41 from the cam shaft of the machine in a manner readily understood without further showing or description. As already stated provision is also made for specially sup- I all rigr porting upon theknocking-over comb the unlooped threads provided by the dropstitch operation above described. This'comb is ordinaril made up of a series of bits '19 y eld at a uniform level beneath the sinkers.

Infmy improved construction provision is made for changing the elevation of certainof the-bits, 46, corresponding in location with the particular needles uponwhich the dmpsstitch' mechanism described has been arranged to operate. As shown in the drawingsthese certain bits 46 differ from the others in being provided with a special projection 47 said projection ada'pting them to be operated upon by a slide-plate 48 mounted upon the knocking-over bit head 49. This plate is provided with notches 50, and enables said special bits to be either lowered to the normal level required for ordinary plain knittin or to be raised above, said level, as determ ned by the longitudinal-adjustment of the plate. When the bits 46, arranged on either side of a needle made empty by the drop-stitch mechanism described, are ,thus elevated above the normalpr plain-knitting level, they support theunlooped threads 22 while the remaining edge of the fabric is being pressed down upon the lower bits by the descending full needles, thus insuring the desired uniform length of unlooped threads 22, and neatness and uniformity in the adjacent loops.

The longitudinal adjustment of each plate 48 is effected as indicated, by means of an arm on a spring-pressed rod ,56 which may extend the full length of the machine; said rod 56 being moved by the operator in changing from plain to drop-stitch knitting or the reverse. It being important that corresponding adjustment of the presser-block rod 36 should be simultaneously efiected, I have provided that said rod 36 shall be automatically set in inoperative position by the same movement which lowers the knockingover bits 46 to normal level; theconnections 57 and 58 to the single operating lever being arranged respectively-to operate the bit ading rod 10. I

The operation and effect of my improved mechanism having been fully described, it will be readily understoodthat various modifications of the particular. construction shown may be readily made .without departing from my invention as specified in the claims.

What I claim is i I 1. In combination with the vertically reciprocated needles, transversely reciprocated sinkers, and fixed guide-bar and operating catch-bar for the sinkers, a re ser-bar mounted on saidguide-bar and carrying spaced drop-stitch fingers, said prcsser-bar being operated by the catch-bar so as'to close the hooks of determined des'oending'needles. and permit the free passing of the last-laid thread upon the sinkers.

2. In combination'withdthe vertically reciprocated needles, transversclyreciprocated sinkers,and fixed gu'idebar and operating catch-bar for the sink ers, a presser-bar mounted in slide-Way's onisaid guide-bar and carrying spaced drop-stitch fingers, said 125 'presser-bar being'operated by the catch-bar so as to-close the hooks ofdetermined-tie scending needles and permit the free passing of'the last-laid thread upon the 'sinkers.

.3. In COll'llllllilllOXl with the vertically re- IBQ l ing rod 56 and the P esser-block opera l I sinkers,

ciprocated needles, transversely reciprocated sinkers, and a'catch-bar for said sinkers, a

resser-bar carrying drop-stitch fingers, presser devices therefor adjustably carried by said catch-bar, and means for automatically moving said devices at intervals to operative andinoperative positions.

5. In combination With the vertically reciprocated needles, transversely reciprocated and a catch-bar for said sinkers, a presser-bar carrying drop-stitch fingers, presser devices therefor adjustablycarried by said catch-bar, means for automatically moving said devices at intervals to operative and inoperative positions,

and independent means for locking the same in determined position. I

6. In a knitting machine having a dropstitch mechanism operative upon certain of the needles, a series of knocking-over bits certain of which corresponding in location with said needles, are elevated above the normal knitting position.

7. In a straight knitting machine having a drop-stitch mechanism operative upon certain of the needles, a series of knockingover bits, and means for simultaneously ad: justin the elevation of determined pairs of said b1ts relative to the others.

8. In a knittingmachine having a dropstitch mechanism operative u on certain of the needles, a series of knocliing-over bits comprising certain movably mounted ones, and a slide for simultaneously operating said movably mounted bits. v

9. In 'a knitting machine having a dropstitch mechanism operative upon certain of the needles, a" series of knocking-over bits comprising certain movably mounted ones,

and mechanism for simultaneously control-.

lin said movably mounted bits and the action of the drop-stitch mechanism.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

D. M. STEWART, W. G. STEWART. 

